While Aussies patiently wait for Virgin Australia to become fully connected, the airline’s sister brand in the UK has completed its internet rollout to become the first European carrier with wi-fi available fleet-wide.
That’s right, Virgin Atlantic is now completely online.
The airline completed its wi-fi rollout this week, almost a year ahead of its European competitors.
Thanks to the airline’s partnership with Panasonic and Gogo technology, wi-fi is available on all of airline’s 39 aircraft travelling to and from the US, Caribbean, Africa, Asia and the Middle East.
Meaning, you can board one of the airline’s Boeing 787s and have access to Facebook OR stream your favourite TV show while travelling on the carrier’s A330s OR send emails mid-air on one of the 747s OR… you get the picture.
Unlike Virgin Australia, which hopes to offer its wi-fi free of charge, Virgin Atlantic has a slight user fee for its internet, which starts from as little as £2.99 or AU$4.88 for access to messages throughout the flight.
Once the package is purchased, flyers will need to wait until they’re 10,000 feet in the air (shortly after take off and shortly before landing) before they can go online.
Mark Anderson, Executive Vice President, Customer at Virgin Atlantic, said having a completely wi-fi equipped fleet showcases the carrier’s commitment to innovation.
“We’ve worked closely with WiFi providers to develop the fastest, most reliable connection across the Atlantic, and are the first carrier to offer WiFi between the UK and the Caribbean, China and Africa.”
Mark Anderson. Virgin Atlantic Executive Vice President